Stock carrier and delivery device



Feb. 4, 1930. w. H. DAVIS 1,745,784

STOCK CARRIER AND DELIVERY DEVICE Filed May 10, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet l 55 ECAKEL:

Feb. 4, 1930.

w. H. DAVIS 1,745,784

STOCK CARRIER AND DELIVERY DEVICE Filed May 10, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllII nu I'll:

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STOCK CARRIER AND DELIVERY DEVICE Filed May 10, 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 avwewtoz JAZZLW 1/ %W Feb. 4, 1930. w. H. DAVIS STOCK CARRIER AND DELIVERY DEVICE Filed May 10. 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Suwmoz FIG. 22.

Patented Feb. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM H. DAVIS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A SSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY N.

. HULA'NDER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK STOCK CARRIER AND DELIVERY DEVICE Application filed May 10, 1926. Serial No. 108,127.

This invention relates to stock carriers and delivery devices, and more especially to that class wherein a plurality of adjustable slides are supported in a frame and are adapted 5 to hold various packages exposed to a small frontage while holding a stock of each kind thus exposed in a proper feeding position for instant delivery.

vide a carrier and'delivery device which will permit storage of the greatest possible amount and variety of goods in the smallest possible space and adapted to expose said goods accessably to the smallest possible frontage.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of the character mentioned which is simple and cheap in structure, and which is adjustable to different sizes of packages to be carried, to render the same so broad'in conception and scope as to be universally adaptable for storage and delivery of all package and standard goods whatsoever.

A further object is to have a device of this class which is not only self feeding by force of gravity, but is easily reloaded conveniently without disturbing its contents.

Still another object is to'have a carrier and device of the class stated which is especially constructed for high speed and efliciency in operation and use.

- Further objects and the advantages accruing from the application of the principles involved in my invention will appear more fully as this specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings 2- Fig. 1 is a view of an apparatus made according to my invention and, embodying its principles, certain package goods being shownas stored in the structure.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same apparatus. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the outer frame alone,'with all slides or loose appurtenances removed to clearly reveal the main structure of the carrier. I

Fig.4 is a view of a frame member which forms the main feature of the parts of the structure shown in the first two views.

.Fig. 5isa similar view of the samev with various additional parts and appurtenances located in proper operative positions thereon.

The main object of my invention is to pro- Fig. 6 is a sectionofthe frame of Fig. 4

of part 10 seen in view of the part 42 of Fig. 11 is a view of a cross bar adapted to;

be attached to the posts of the apparatus shown in the first three views.

Fig. 12 is a fragment of a corner post as just mentioned, with a portion of a cross bar in proper attached position.

Fig. 13 is a view of a shelf having a pair of cross bars secured thereto whereby to secure the shelf to the main frame of the device in the same manner as the other parts.

F Fig. 14 is a modification of the slide seen in ig. 15 is a modification of of Fig. 12.

Fig. 16 is a further modification of the same.

Fig. 17 is also a modification of the same.

Fig. 18 is a cross bar adapted to engage the posts shown in both Figs. 15 and 16.

Fig. 19 is a cross bar adapted to engage the post of Fig. 17.

Fig. 20' is a fragmentary view of the lower the corner post portion of the far side 'of the frame shown in Fig. 3, with modified means for raising and supporting the post plates shown. Fig. 21 is a similar view including other degree developed the packing of all'kinds and varieties of goods'in standard packages,

and this .point hardly needs improvement, but

' other words, while the' packages involved are more or less standardized in clean out form, they are never the less still stocked as of old in space consuming shelves which are scattered about the walls of the stores. A .clerk must therefore waste both time and energy in the mere act of gathering goods from his stock to fill an order, and the same waste occurs when he desires to replenish his stock, not to mention that he often must disturb and rearrange the stock when reloading the shelves.

' In order to introduce an eflicient system of stocking and delivering goods in the manner already outlined, the present invention is designed and proposed. A pair of corner posts 1 and 2 are secured together by a lower bar 12 and an upperbar 3, while a pair of rear corner posts 18 and 35 are similarly secured together by a lower bar 32 and an upper bar 4. The first pair of posts are joined to the rear posts by means of the lower bars 22 and 30, and by the upper side bars 21 and 31. Be-

tween the front and rear posts, a pair of corresponding intermediate posts 19 and 33 are secured to the upper'and lower side bars to provide additional support. The whole is thus formed into a unit, or a prismatic frame, as it may be termeil. Various strengthening means may be added to the structure to as-.

sist in retaining its proper form such as diagonal struts or wires indicated by the dotted diagonal lines, but all such means are well known and have been omitted beyond this reference in order to clear the views.

Upon the intermediate posts 19 and 33, and the rear posts 18 and 35 certain vertical plates or strips 20, 34, 29 and 36 have been secured in the respective order mentioned. In the edges of these plates as well as in the edges of the front posts, there are series of rearwardly open slots located as at 26, 26,26. The slots are all tilted downward toward the front of the apparatus and are each provided with a tongue at the entrance to provide a wider interior portion as indicated at 27, 27. The slots on the plates and post on one side correspond with those of the plate and post on the other side, and are therefore adapted to be engaged by the extremities of the cross bars 5,5, 5 of a frame member comprising said bars and an upper slide 38 and a lower bar 7. This frame member is, of course a unit, and as such is attachable to the posts and the plates when the extremities are inserted from the rear openings into the slots,

the position-,ofthe frame member being inclined forward. The extremities of the cross bars are furnished with tongues or hooks as indicated by 25, 25, and as in the case of theloose cross bar 60 in Fig. 11, the tongues are spaced away from the main portion of tions 27 27 of any of the slots 26, 26, and whenin osition will rest on the bottoms of the wi er portions of the slots and be retained b the rear slot tongues indicated at 65, 65. his is especially shown in Figs. 11

.and 12.

If a number of these frame members are placed in position in the main structure as seen in the first two views, it is easily evident that the may be spaced apart different distances a ove each other, although at the same angle, because of the number of slots aflt'orded. Moreover, the cross bars are uniformly provided with rear slots along their edges as indicated at 39, 39 whose purpose'will im mediately appear. It may be noted that the slide 38 has a front stop 6, but is open at its rear end. In order to correspond with this slide, an opposite slide 17 which has a front stop 8 is provided below with a series of rivets or pins 51, 51, 51, which are adapted to engage the slots 39, 39 of the cross bars. As there are a large number of snchslots on the bars, the slide may be placed in'any position alongthe same and then drawn forward a little until the rivets engage the slots adjacent to them. The distance between rigid slide 38 and the movable slide 17 may be sufficient for small cams orv boxes as at 15, or may be spaced further apart for any size package, at will. In similar fashion a double slide 40 is provided beneath the same with the rivets 51, 51, and 51 as before, which adapts it to be located on the frame member, but in this case, there are two sides or rails 41 and 42, while the front stop 9 serves for both. If the single slide is used with the double slide upon the frame member as in F 1g. 5, or in the first view, one side of the slide 40 is adapted to cooperate with the smgle slide to carry packages as noted at 16, 16, while the other side will be adapted to correspond with the rigid slides as at 6, 6, or also noted 38, in such manner as to bear similar packages. In the first views several double slides are shown as intermediates between the extreme side slides, and illustrate their versatile adaptability, as they are easily spaced apart to conform to the proper width of the different packages carried. In the bottom tier two double slides are used, both in case smaller packages were to be stored. With good calculation, the boxes to be carried may be so arranged according to their relative similarity in sizes, that the tiers of the same would practically fill the structure from side to side so that in each tier as little space as possible would go to waste between the single slides and the post 1. On the uppermost frame member, a separate chute 42 is mounted on the cross bars and carries a number of cylindrical cans which rest against its lower curved stops at 11. This chute is also provided with a series of rivets for engagement with the slots of the cross bars as in the case of the other slides. Then there is also an angle chute 10 which is adapted for storing and deliverin bottle goods noted by 13. This may also e stored sideways as the cans at 14 instead of head on as in this case, but the chute 10 saves space and is therefore preferable. This chute, whose sides 47 and 48 may be relatively disposed at any useful angle has a front stop 44, and beneath three supports 45, 52 and 55 adapted to rest on the frame cross bars.

It is easily seen that I may use various means upon the slides and chutes to fasten the same to the cross bars and engage theirslots, among others, the single rivet on support 55 at 51, or a pair of spaced rivets 50, 50 on support 52, or the very corners of the support 45 may be turned over at 53 and 54 to engage the crossbar slots. In the views, the uses of the various slides and chutes are merely suggested, as there are actually from 600 to over a thousand different kinds of packages that may be found in a fully stocked grocery store, and the ideas of the clerk using my invention will also have some effect on the appearance of the stock carried. For example, the bottle goods may be carried in angle chutes similar to 10 in a tier by itself on the top frame member, While in the next below, a group of flat chutes similar to 42 with the vertical sides 43 and 46 may occupy the whole width of the main frame With can goods lying in them. And in the other spaces below may be stocks of boxes and rectangular packages to capacity. This is merely suggestive, but a regularly equipped store would not have merelyv one such rack or frame, but three or four which would then suflice to carry the entire stock.

In the use of the apparatus, a clerk may accidentally strike the front extremity of the loaded slides and thus displace them from the cross bar slots, and thereby cause the whole tier to be disarranged and to fall. In order to met this contingency and prevent displacement of the slides from their proper positions, each slide is provided beneath with a rear trigger or lock 58 which is pivoted 1n a pa1r of bearings or lugs noted 56, 56 m F1g. 9, while the active extremity of the trigger is a hook 57 adapted to engage the rear lower edges of the rear cross bar of each frame member at 49 provided for this pur ose. The mere act of sliding one of the sli e members into position on the cross bars will cause this trigger to snap into place beyond said edge 49 on the rear cross bar by virtue of the pointed character of the hook 57 a spring being located at 59 to cause the hook to close upon the cross bar edge when in position. I the other extremity 58 is pressed by the finger against the tension of the spring, the hook will be released from the cross bar edge and'the slide will be free to be removed, but if left locked will be rigidly immovable upon the frame member. The chute 10 is not shown as having a trigger of this character, but may thus be furnished at will.

There are some classes of package goods whic because of their size and lack of weight will present considerable friction to the slides, and will refuse to slide properly at normal low angles of inclination of the frames. This means that it will be necessary to increase the inclination of the slides, so that the rear extremities are higher than as first related to the forward extremities. Naturally, if the forward extremities of the frame members remain in position while the rear portions are raised, the rear portions will describe an arc and be slightly displaced forward in such movement. The means to permit this necessary ad ustment of the members comprises first of all the plates 20, 34, 29 and 36 whose rear edge slots carry the cross bars of the frame members, as already noted. These plates are provided with slots as noted at 23, 23, 23, and with bolts 28, 28 which pass through the upper slots and the posts 18 and 19. The bolts are not tightly adjusted in order to allow sliding movement of the plates, but in the lower pair of slots visible, the wing nuts 24, 24 are provided on the bolts there located in order to be used for setting the plates in any attained position. It is but necessary to loosen both wing nuts, and, of course, those corresponding therewith on the opposite side of the frame which are not seen because of their position and then the rear of the bars20 and 36 be raised until the plates connected thereto are in the desired positions, when the wing nuts may again be tightened. It may be mentioned here that the bars 20 and 36' are pivoted at their forward extremities to the front posts 1 and 2, and merely support the plates in order to hold them in line while shifting them up or down to new positions, and are therefore not rigidly connected to these plates. In other words, the bars are pivoted to the plates and constitute shifting and lifting means, while the wing nuts and bolts provide securing means to fix the plates in position. Now, in order to take care of the arcuate movement of the frame members when being raised and to preserve the relation of the slots in the plates to the cross bars in the members, the slots noted 23 are arranged diagonally and may be slightly curved to conform to arcs struck from t e post slots noted 26 in front posts 1 and 2. When the plates are thus raised, they will also move forward slightly to conform with the arcs mentioned. As the slots in plates 20 and 34 are much closer to the front posts, they are necessarily more arced, having shorter radii than the slots in the rear plates. It is therefore possible to raise the rear portions of the frame members to any reasonable inclination, and thereby regulate the force of the gravity feed of the goods carried.

Another additional means to provide swift feed is shown in Fig. 14, where the slide 72 has a front stop 71, and in its fiat face 18 rovided with a series of rollers noted 74,

4. Any fiat bottomed package will easily slide over these rollers and this means may be incorporated in all the slides.

There are also other possible means than the slots noted 26 in the posts and plates by which to support the cross bars, as seen in Figs. 15, 16 and 17. In post 75, the slots 76, 76 have each a shelf 77 bent out therefrom, and each shelf has a front stop 78, a cross bar 86 being adapted to be seated at its extremities on the shelves thus made, and the tongues 88, 88 in this case correspondwith the tongues noted 25 on the foregoing cross bars. The forward edge 87 on the bar may act as an additional stop. Another post 79 has a pair of slots 81, 81 with portions of its edge cutand bent outward to form shelves as noted at 80, 80, the same bein adapted to receive the same cross bar 86. The post 82, on the other hand, may be furnished upon its side 84 with a series of rivets 85, 85, while a cross bar 90 is adapted to have its projections 89, 89 rest against the post involved while its tongues 91, 91 rest directly upon the rivets shown. 'Many other possible shelf structures may be used without departing from the spirit of my invention, and other means than slots and rivets are feasible for use in fastening the slides to the cross bars.

On some occasions it is desirable to use a solid shelf in the frame proper instead of the slides, and, of course, partitions may be erected thereon according to necessity, while using the slotted plates 68 and 83 to which they may be attached. These plates may serveas substitutes for the cross bars for the slides or partitions attachable to the shelf, and the 1 latter has a pair of clearance channels 67 in the shelf 66. The shelf proper has a pair of cross bars 69 and 7 0 which are similar to bar 60, or those noted 5, 5, except for the slots noted 39. The shelf may be used as a plain shelf of no other appurtenances: are attached, and allows of a versatility of uses in combination with the other frames and slides which is almost unlimited.

Other similar details in great variety may be introduced within the scope of my inventlon, even to the point of including lock means upon the rear lugs on the slots of plate 29 in order to prevent removal of the cross bars therefrom.

In Fig. 20, the plates 34 and 36 are shown with a pair of cams 92 and 93 supporting the same. The first named cam is larger than the second in order to produce a greater movement of the rear plate upon partial rotation of the cams. The latter are pivoted on the posts bearing the plates and have each an arm 94 connected to the link 95, and the same is in turn connected by a shorter link 96 to a control lever 97. This lever is mounted in the base channel or bar 30 of the frame, and a toothed plate 98 is mounted on its far side in a stationary position. The lever is furnished with a trigger handle 99 which is adapted to engage the toothed portions of the plate 98, and it is evident that any forward movement of the lever will be transmitted to the cams by means of the links and will produce clockwise movement, and by virtue of the shape of the cams, will lower the plates. The position shown is the high extreme position possible to the cams and plates, but if a lower position has been attained, the lever may be moved to raise the plates as well as to further lower. them.

In Fig. 21, the plates have a rack 100 on 34 and a second rack 101 on 36 which are in mesh with a pair of gears 102 and 103, respectively. The second gear is the larger to raise or lower plate 36 faster than gear 102 can raise 100 and plate 34. The gears are mounted on a shaft 105 resting in bearings on the posts, and a ratchet 107 is secured upon the shaft outside the rear bearing and adapted to be engaged by a pawl 106. The rear extremity 105 of the shaft may be engaged by a handle to crank the shaft in either direction until the desired positions of the plates are reached, when the pawl may be slipped into contact with the ratchet.

In Fig. 22, a similar shaft 108 is mounted on hearings on the frame, and has a rear extremity 117 adapted for a crank. The bevel gears 114 and 115 are secured on the shaft in engagement with a pair of similar gears 113 and 116 which are secured on a pair of screw shafts 112 and 119. The plates 36 and 34 are furnished with similar screw blocks 11 and 110 engaged by the screw shafts, shaft 112 having'a much steeper thread than 109, rotation of shaft 108 will thus raise or lower the plates according to the direction in which it is itself rotated.

Having now fully described my invention. I claim 1. In a frame including corner posts, the combination, with a detachable cross bar mounted between said posts and having a relatively straight top provided with a series of tongues upon the rear edge thereof, of a second detachable member provided with downpairs,

overlying said crossbars and rigi ward projections disposed beneath the same for engagement with said cross bar tongues in order to locate said second member transversely upon the-top of said cross bar. v

2. In a stock carrier and delivery device, the combination with a supporting frame having a plurality of rigid posts arranged in of a detachable frame adapted to be inserted in said first frame, including a plurality of crossbars individually attached to said pairs of posts, a connectin member ly secured thereto within one end of each crossbar, and a second connecting member neath said crossbars and also rigidly secured thereto within the other end of each crossbar in order to .unite the crossbars into a unit, there being means shiftable to various positions upon said crossbars for co-operating with one of said connecting members in order to support stock articles.

3. In a stock carrier and delivery device,

the combination with a supporting frame having a plurality of rigid posts arranged in pairs, of a detachable frame adapted to be inserted in said first frame, including a plurality of crossbars individually attached to said pairs of posts, a slide member rigidly secured upon the upper portions of said crossbars within one end of each crossbar,

and a connecting bar rigidly secured beneath said crossbars within the other end of each crossbar in order to unite the crossbars into a unit, .there being means on said detachable frame for securing thereon an additional slide member in spaced relation to said first slide member in order to co-operate therewith in supporting articles of stock.

4. In a stock carrier and delive device including a prismatic frame having our corner posts spaced apart and cross bars adapted to be located between said posts, means upon one pair of said posts to support saidcross bars including relatively long and vertically arranged slidable plates attached to said posts, and a plurality of attachment means upon each plate, there being means upon said cross bars to engage supporting means upon said first posts and also to engage corresponding supporting means upon said plates.

5. A'stock carrier and delivery device comprising a frame having four corner posts, relatively long, vertically arranged and slidably movable plates on two of said posts with means to secure said plates in anydesired position, there being means to support shelves or frames between said posts and plates, including slots in the edges of said posts and plates, and frame members adapted to engage said posts and plate slots.

6. A stock carrier and delivery device comprising a prismatic frame having corner posts united in spaced relation by upper and lower connecting bars, additional posts intermediarranged besaid plates in ately arranged between said corner posts frame members including cross bars adapted to be located between said corner posts and other posts to connect transverse bars upon said cross bars to unite said cross bars'into shelf frames, plates upon one pair of corner posts and upon said intermediate posts, there being means upon said remaining corner posts and all said plates adapted to support said frame members, means to move and retain said platen in desired positions at will upon said posts, and means upon said frame members to engage said plates and posts.

7. A frame member com rising a pair of spaced parallel cross bars having a slotted rear edge upon each, an additional projection along the rear edge of one of said cross bars, a chute adapted to enga e the slotted edges of said cross bars and e supported by said bars, and a pivoted trigger hook upon said chute adapted to normally engage said additional edge projection upon said one cross bar, there being a spring beneath said trigger to clamp the same upon said bar ed e.

8. In a stock carrier and delivery device comprising a prismatic frame having corner posts connected by upper and lower bars with intermediate posts arranged between said corner posts, captive plates movably secured upon'two corner posts and the intermediate posts, a bar on each side of said frame pivoted to the remaining two corner posts and to the plates upon its respective side whereby to move and adjust said plates upwardly or downwardly upon said posts at will, and means to release and secure said plates in attained position including bolts passing through the plates and the posts to which they are respectively attached.

9. A stock carrier and dispensing device them in pairs with I I including two pairs of spaced corner posts secured into a unit. by means of connecting members, captive plates upon one pair of said posts, means to move said plates into different positions upon said posts including a bar pivoted to each of the other posts and to said plates, and frictional means to secure attained positions and govern their relative movements including bolts passing through slots in said plates and the posts to which they are attached.

10. A stock carrier and delivery device including the combination of a frame having a plurality of relatively rigid posts arranged in pairs, there being a detachable frame adapted to be attached to one pair of said posts, means upon another pair of said posts to serve as auxiliary supports for said detachable frame including a pair of slidabl movable supporting members individually associated with said latter pair of posts, means for raising and lowering said slidable supporting members upon said posts in order to correspondingly raise and, lower one end of said detachable frame at will, and means for holding said supporting means in constant associated relation to their respective posts.

11. In a stock carrier and delivery device, the combination with a supporting frame, of

a detachable shelf frame adapted to be supported by said first frame including a plurality of slide supporting members arranged in spaced relation, a plurality of slide members adapted tobe transversely arranged upon said slide supporting members at various predetermined spaced intervals with respect to each other, and locking means upon each slide member for fixing said members at said predetermined intervals.

12. In a stock carrier and delivery device, the combination with a supporting frame, of a detachable frame adapted to be supported by said first frame including a plurality of slide supporting members arranged in spaced relation, means to unite said slide support ing members into a unit, and a plurality of slide members adapted to be transversely ar-' ranged upon said supporting members and variously spaced apart thereon at definite predetermined intervals.

13. In a stock carrier and delivery device, the combination with a supporting frame, of a detachable shelf frame adapted to be supported by said first frame including a plurality of slide supporting members spaced apart, and means to unite said slide supporting members into a unit including one slide member transversely arranged with respect to said slide supporting members and rigidly secured thereto, there being a corresponding slide member adapted to be spaced from said rigid slide member transversely to-said slide supporting members.

14. In a stock carrier and delivery device, the combination with a supporting frame, of a double slide member normally supported by said frame including a pair ofslides having an intermediate partition associated therewith, and auxiliary slide members, corresponding with each of said slides also arranged to be supported by said first frame and spaced from said slides in co-operative relation therewith.

In testimony whereof, I, WILLIAM H. DAVIS, have signed my name to this specification this 15th day of April, 1926.

WILLIAM H. DAVIS. 

